Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 93426 — Bradley, CA

ZIP code 93426 (Bradley, Monterey County) is in USDA zone 9a: the coldest winter night averages 20 to 25 °F.

Where ZIP 93426 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone9a20 to 25 °F
Coldest night−6.7 to −3.9 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone9a

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 9a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Bradley, CA…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

A 32 °F frost doesn't happen here in most winters. At the nearest station (NOAA station Hearst Castle, CA — 16 miles away, elevation 1,526 ft) the median growing season is 365 days. When frost does come, it is a midwinter night or two; cover tender plants when a freeze is forecast.

Frost data: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 93426 came on Jan 28 — about the same time as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 30).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Soil in Bradley, CA

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 93426 is Nacimiento — silty clay loam, well drained.

TextureSilty clay loamholds water and nutrients; slow to drain and warm up
pH8.2alkaline; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter3.5%moderate
Hydrologic groupCwater soaks in slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Nacimiento-Los Osos complex, 30 to 50 percent slopes, MLRA 15.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 93426; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Bradley, CA

Summer high78 °Faverage high, September
Winter low45 °Faverage low, February
Hot days15days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights1nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days3,841base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day14 h 35 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day9 h 43 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growIntermediateday-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully
Precipitation16.3 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 60 °F, low 47 °F 60°47° JanFebruary: average high 60 °F, low 45 °F 60°45° FebMarch: average high 62 °F, low 47 °F 62°47° MarApril: average high 65 °F, low 47 °F 65°47° AprMay: average high 69 °F, low 52 °F 69°52° MayJune: average high 73 °F, low 55 °F 73°55° JunJuly: average high 75 °F, low 57 °F 75°57° JulAugust: average high 77 °F, low 58 °F 77°58° AugSeptember: average high 78 °F, low 60 °F 78°60° SepOctober: average high 74 °F, low 56 °F 74°56° OctNovember: average high 66 °F, low 50 °F 66°50° NovDecember: average high 59 °F, low 46 °F 59°46° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″January: 3.57 in precipitation 3.6 JanFebruary: 3.90 in precipitation 3.9 FebMarch: 2.72 in precipitation 2.7 MarApril: 0.83 in precipitation 0.8 AprMay: 0.41 in precipitation 0.4 MayJune: 0.10 in precipitation 0.1 JunJuly: 0.05 in precipitation 0.1 JulAugust: 0.02 in precipitation 0.0 AugSeptember: 0.09 in precipitation 0.1 SepOctober: 0.72 in precipitation 0.7 OctNovember: 1.15 in precipitation 1.1 NovDecember: 2.71 in precipitation 2.7 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Hearst Castle, CA (16 mi away); precipitation: Lockwood 3.6 Nw, CA (12 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 8 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

939329a
Lockwood, CA · 11 mi
9345210a
San Simeon, CA · 15 mi
934479a
Paso Robles, CA · 17 mi
9342810a
Cambria, CA · 18 mi
934509a
San Ardo, CA · 19 mi
934469a
Paso Robles, CA · 19 mi
939549a
San Lucas, CA · 23 mi
934518b
San Miguel, CA · 24 mi

California planting zones →

Questions about 93426

What planting zone is ZIP code 93426?

ZIP code 93426 (Bradley, CA) is in USDA hardiness zone 9a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches 20 to 25 °F (−6.7 to −3.9 °C).

How much rain and snow does 93426 get?

About 16.3 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Lockwood 3.6 Nw station).

How hot do summers get in Bradley, CA?

The average high peaks at 78 °F in September, with about 15 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 93426 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Nacimiento at the center of ZIP 93426: silty clay loam, well drained, pH about 8.2 (alkaline).

Did spring come early in Bradley, CA in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 93426 came on Jan 28 in 2026, about the same as the 1991–2020 average (Jan 30), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Bradley, CA?

Intermediate onions: the longest day near 93426 is 14 h 35 min, so day-neutral types bulb best; long-day varieties may not bulb fully.